I do not know how many readers here are familiar with the Cleanse, it requires a few days (10 is the suggested amount) of drinking this lemon/maple syrup concoction coupled with a salt water flush that is meant to rid your body of toxins and help reset the digestive clock, so to speak. I read many accounts of the experiences of others and had initially planned to try it when the boys were a few months old. That did not happen. But I had the required items in the pantry; sea salt, grade B maple syrup, fresh lemons from an orchard nearby. I finally took the plunge.
It has not been awful, but it sure ain't what I would call fun. The salt water flush is the worst part. You drink 4 cups salt warm water that is intended to flush your intestines etc. of internal, um, stuff. It does. Nuff said.
The lemon drink acts as your daily 'food' and is the agent to cleanse, supposedly. I love the way it tastes, just fresh and sweet (almost too sweet) and you basically drink a glass whenever you get hungry and chase it with some nice cold glasses of water to keep your system hydrated.
It sounds kind of crazy when I write it down. I have never done a cleanse before and thought this sounded the easiest to do, it costs almost nothing and the reports, though varied, seem to be fairly positive. So, as for working? Well, on Day Three, here are some reflections:
- It makes me really appreciate food. Good food. I have some pretty intense cravings to eat. I want veggies and fruit and to try some of the recipes that I have seen linked in other blog entries. I should probably stop looking at recipes. Even the stuff Anthony Bourdain was eating on his program looked good.
- I am less hungry than I thought I would be. I realize the lemonade contains quite a few calories due to the maple syrup content (if you drink recommended amounts, it supplies about 800 calories...in sugar...I know. Sounds crazy. But if you read the 40 page dossier, there are a lot of benefits to maple). I have yet to drink the whole amount recommended, they say 6-8 glasses.
- It also makes me realize just how much (or little) I need to put into my mouth. I am simultaneously reading In Defense of Food by Pollan, wherein he talks on how to eat in this new era of food production. There is a lot to be said for limiting our intake. Might actually be the key to health, not low fat, not high fiber, just less food.
- My skin is clearing up. I usually struggle with severely dry skin, a form of chronic eczema that I have never been able to banish (except when pregnant, ahhh, the glorious pregnancy skin). Today, my skin is less painful and dry and cracked. Hmmm. Nice. And another plus, an absence of body order that has become such an issue since pregnancy ended (let us not lie, it was a bit of an issue before, but after, arrrggg). I use Tom's of Maine, but it does little to help at times. These three days I have yet to use Tom's. Interesting, wouldn't you say?
So, a few more days to go. I do not count on making ten days, aiming for about 5 this time around. There is some debate about whether it helps to do the Cleanse for a few days. I am sure anything that can help us break free, even if just a bit, from the Western diet can have some positive effects. I am doing the Cleanse to reset my system, but not truly sure of any other goals. I plan on changing my eating style post-Cleanse, but we will hold off until that time comes.
Until then, hope all is well in blogland. Been a bit quiet around here in the comments. Would a picture help?
Owen modeling a botched Xmas gift. (Rav) It was meant for an adult male. Whoops. Second one came out better. More on knitting later.
P.S. Katie, I just got a box in the mail. Going to open it now.
Calmer, sweet. Thanks, K. :)
8 comments:
I'm so glad you posted about this - I've always been curious about it. Yet more to discuss when we get together next! Let's do that - maybe next month after all the wedding brouhaha? Miss you! xo-S.
ps: I'm still in the corn section of The Omnivore's Dilemma! Granted, I haven't been reading as much lately, due to the last-minute wedding shawl I decided to knit, but still. Will it ever end?
wow, you did it!! i'll be interested to hear how it effects taking care of the twins (if at all) because i wondered if i'd be able to function well as "mommy" if i were doing something similar :) can't wait to hear more!
I've heard much about what you're doing. Mostly from my acupuncturist when I was pregnant - when I obviously wasn't going to attempt it then. I'm really curious as to how it works out for you. I would love to attempt it. I put so much crap in my body everyday. I pretty much consider coffee a major food group. I went cold turkey with the caffeine when I was pregnant but the thought of doing it now makes me want to jump off a bridge. I wonder if I could function without coffee long enough to do what you're doing. Email me come info if you can!
AND....OH.MY.GOD!!!! I thought I was the ONLY one with the body odor problem sans twins!!!! I was always a little freakishly obsessed with deodorant but now I have yet to find something tat works even remotely well! And I sweat like a darn PIG almost all the time. CRAZY! I used to use Tom's of Maine but they stopped making the stuff that actually worked b/c of the ingredients but I would give my right arm if they started making it again. right now I'm using some crystal stuff from the natural foods store. It works but not enough to make me stop thinking about it all day long. YIKES! Glad to hear I'm not the only twin mama with this "problem!"
I was a vegetarian for 10+ years before getting pregnant for environmental and health reasons. Then I couldn't eat any source of vegetarian protein while pregnant without spontaneously barfing, so I went back to meat. Now I'm about 90% vegetarian, but it is so weird to hear everyone so excited that I eat meat. Like I had gone into a cult or something and was finally revived!
Anyway, long way to say I've read both of Pollan's books and struggle with what I would consider "healthy." We eat organic dairy, get our veggies and fruits from a local organic CSA but I love chocolate so much that if I tell myself I can't have any that day, I can't stop thinking about it.
PS. I tried switching to a non-chemical deodorant when vegetarian. After a few humid days, Jon told me "that hippie deodorant isn't quite working" I REEKED!!! There's no way I could go back to non-chemical deodorant while livingin the south. On 99 degree days with 95 humidity??
you are brave doing a cleanse. i've thought about it but don't feel like i have the stamina. um, the body odor thing is a problem for me too. ugh.
ooh!! glad it arrived. seeing as your doing the cleanse, you'll have to fill one of the glasses with lemonade and the other with salt water!
I really hate that I can't see any of your pictures! So, I have to leave it up to my imagination.
My mom is a macrobiotist and does 'brown rice cleanses' every so often. To me, it sounds like hell, and I'm even a big fan of brown rice. The maple cleanse sounds a lot more appealing. I will have to tell her about it.
Good luck with the cleanse!
A~ I'm so glad to hear that you're doing the Master Cleanse. I have been wanted to do it for some time. For the last 1.5 I've either been pregnant or still nursing so the cleanse is out for me. I have several close friends that have done it and have experienced so many benefits. (But the salt water flush does suck!)
Hang in there.
Here's to a beautifully clear tongue!
Post a Comment